Nobody thought it was possible, but Alex Ovechkin is just seven goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. Now, The Great One’s former teammate Jari Kurri shares his true thoughts on the historic milestone—and everyone should hear what he has to say.
When Wayne Gretzky retired, he held around 60 NHL records. Many believed some of the most prestigious—like goals, assists, and points—would stand forever. But Alex Ovechkin has proved the critics wrong.
Now, the Russian superstar is just seven goals away, and all signs point to him breaking the record before the regular season ends. It will be one of the most remarkable feats in hockey history, and the entire hockey world is watching every Capitals game closely.
Jari Kurri on Ovechkin’s record
Everyone is in awe of Ovechkin and what he’s accomplishing, especially at 39, as he continues scoring at an astonishing pace. Now, Jari Kurri—one of Gretzky’s closest teammates and friends during their years with the Oilers and Kings—has spoken out about Ovechkin’s pursuit of history.
“It’s unbelievable numbers that Ovechkin is putting up,” Kurri told The Hockey Beast. “It’s unbelievable. Nobody thought that record would ever be broken, and now it’s so close—it’s amazing.”
At the same time, some have criticized the celebration of Russian players in the NHL, given the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Dominik Hasek has been particularly vocal about his opposition, but another of Gretzky’s former teammates, Esa Tikkanen, believes Ovechkin’s accomplishments deserve recognition.
“I don’t know if you have to celebrate it. But hockey is different now than when we played,” Tikkanen said. “When Gordie Howe played, it was different. When Gretzky played, it was different. When we played, it was tough. And today, there are a lot of skilled players. It’s much easier to score goals now than it was 20–40 years ago.
“Like Jari said, no one could believe it. But the game keeps changing. Let’s see what Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can do.”
READ MORE: Jari Kurri names the best players he ever played with
